Apparatus for handling heated molds for tires, tubes, and the like



Jan. 15, 1929.

w. L. FAIRCHILD- I APPARATUS FOR HANDLING HEATED MOLDS FOR TIRES, TUBES, AND THE LIKE 2 sheets-sheet 1 Filed Feb. 24,

INVENTOR HISATTORNEY Jan. 15,1929. 1,699,102

W. L. FAIRCHILD 1 v APPARATUS FOR HANDLING HEATED MOLDS F011 TIRES, 11113115, AND-THE 'LIKE' 1 Filed Feb 2:11, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I I Q 25 .5 "41:1?15Lfi. Q m'rAKzyaxuAus'r INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 15, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER L. FAIRGHILD, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

APPARATUS FOR HANDLING HEATED MOLDS FOR TIRES, TUBES, AND THE LIKE.

Application filed February 24, 1925. Serial No. 11,008.'

'more or less specific than those referred to above, will be in part obvious and in part pointed out in the course of the following description of the elements, combinations, arrangements of parts and applications of principles, constituting the invention; and

\ the scope of protection contemplated will be indicated in. the appended claims. In the accompanying drawings, wherein I have illustrated a preferred form of embodiment of my invention:

Figure l is an elevational view,'showing my improved apparatus, showing the mold sections in open position, and also showing in dotted lines the position in which it is desired to move the mold during the vulcanizing operation.

Figure 2 is a similar view, showing the mold in closed position, ready to be opened to insert the article to be vulcanized therein.

Figure 3 is a view in horizontal section,

' showing one of the controlling valves employed in this apparatus.

Figure 4 is aview'similar to Figure 3., shrwing the valve in a diiferent position; an t Figure 5 is a top plan view of one of the controlling cylinders, said view being taken substantially on the line 55 of Figure 2,

looking in the direction of the arrows, or on line 5'5 of Figure 1, looking in the direction. of the arrows.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views thereof,

. the reference numeral 1 denotes one of the standards for supporting the mold, the latter beingmounted upon a base 2, it being understood that a similar stem is provided upon theopposite end of the base, so that the lower section 3 of the mold 4 may be mounted upon trunnions 5 between said standards, whereby1 the mold may be rotated to the positions s own in the drawings. The upper. mold section 6 is provided with a bracket arm 7, which is pivoted as by means of the rod 8 to a bracket 9 extending rearwardly from the lower mold section 8. This pivotal construction permits the upper sect-ion 6 to be swung upwardly, as illustrated in Figure 1, whereby the article to be vulcanized may be readily inserted or removed from the lower. section 3 of the mold.

In the present embodiment of my invention, the same is" particularly adapted for vulcanizing pneumatic tubes for vehicle tires and the like.

The reference numeral 10 denotes a cylinder, one end of which is pivotally mounted at 11, to the base 2 of themachine, said cylinder being provided with a piston, the rod 12 of which is journalled at 13 to the rod 8, which forms the pivotal connection between the mold sections.

Leading into the cylinder 10 is an air conduit 14, which extends from a suitable source of air pressure, said conduit being provided with a valve 15, having an operating handle 16, which may a pull-chain 17 it being understood that a spring, not shown, will be employed for closing the valve. The interior construction of the valve 15. is illustrated in Figures 3 and 4. It will be seen that the valve casing'is provided with a passageway 18 extending entirely therethrough, and with a branch pas-L sageway 19 which leads to the atmosphere. The valvev20 is provided with a straight be; connected to t passageway 21, and with the branch passageway 22, which leads into the passageway 21. It will be seen that when parts of the valve are inthe position shown in Figure 4, the source of air pressure will be connected with the cylinder above the piston in the cylinder 10, whereby the piston will be forced downwardly, causing the rod 12 to swing the mold upon its trunnion 5 to the position shown in the dotted lines'of Figure 1 of the drawings.

In this connection it will be noted that the mold proper is so mounted between its points of pivotal support that the part of the mold in front of its trunnions is heavier than the part thereof located to the rear. of said trunnions, whereby the mold at all 'times is urged to a horizontal position by gravity. When it is desired to permit the mold to return to its normal or horizontal position, the valve is operated to the position shown in Figure 3, whereby the pressure of the cylinder is released to the atmosphere through the passageways 22 and 19. Thus the piston will freely move upwardly as the mold returns to its horizontal position by gravity. I

The reference numeral 23 denotes a cylin der pivotally'mounted as at 2 l to a bracket 25 supported upon the upper end of the frame. piston having a piston rod 26, the outer end of which is pivotally connected at 27 to a bracket 28 mounted upon the forward end of the upper mold section 6. The reference numeral 29 denotes a conduit, one endof which leads froma suitable source of air pressure and the other end leads through a valve 30 to the cylinder 23, below the piston ,therein, so that when air is admitted into the cylinder 23, the piston will be moved upwardly within the cylinder, lifting the upper section .6 of the mold, as shown in Figure 1 of the drawings. The valve 30.is constructed similarly to the valve illustrated in Figures 3and 4, that is to say,

, the conduit 29 may be connected directly with the cylinder, shutting off the vent'31,

or the interior of the cylinder 23 below, the

piston may be connected to the atmosphere,

through the vent 31, the air pressure to the cylinder through the conduit 29, being at this time shut off.

The valve 30 may be likewise operated by a pull-chain 32, a. spring not shown being employed to restore the valve to the position shown in Figure 1 of the drawings- The cylinder 23 at its upper end is provided with a head 33 having the vent apertures 34, and the cylinder 10 is similarly constructed at its lower end. i

Having thus described the construction of this embodiment 'of my invention, the operation thereof, which should be largely obvious from the above description, may now be understood.

Assuming the parts to be in the position shown in Figure 2 of the drawings, and it is desired to open the mold to insert therein, or remove therefrom, the tube which is to be, or has been, subjected to the vul- 50 canizing process; the valve 30 is manipulated so that air is forced into the "cylinder 23,

.whereupon the piston rod 26 will move upwardly, thereby swinging the mold section 6 upwardly, as indicated in Figure 1.

When it is desired to permit the mold section 6 to return to the horizontal position,

the valve 30 will again be manipulated to connect the interior of the cylinder 23 through the vent 31 to the atmosphere and- '0 disconnect it from air pressure, whereupon section 6 will swing downwardly to the position shown in Figure 2. At this point it may be noted that the vent of the upper end at the cylinder 23 permits of this operation.

When it is desired to swing the entire This cylinder is provided with amold bodily to the position indicated by the dotted lines of Figure 1, the valve 15 will be manipulated to connect the conduit 14 with theinterior of the cylinder 10, whereupon the piston in said cylinder 10 will be forced downwardly, causing the piston rod 12 to move in a corresponding direction, whereupon the mold will be swung to the position shown in dotted lines. In this connection it will be noted that the valve 30, which controls the admission of air into the cylinder 23 and also the exhaust, will be in the position last above described. In other words, the interior of the cylinder 23 will be connected with the exhaust. In this position it will be seen that the piston of the cylinder 23 is free to move upwardly or downwardly, as the mold as a whole 1s swung upon its trunnions, by its operating mechanism.

During this operation it will be noted that the cylinder 23 and its associated parts Wlll talie the position indicated in the dotted lines in Figure l of the drawings.

Thus it will be seen that this mechanism is especially well adapted to move the heated molds and the movable sections thereof ex- I peditiously without danger of the operator coming in contact with the heated parts of the mold.

This apparatus also reduces to a minimum the expenditure of manual labor in operating the mold, permitting the mold or parts thereof to be freely moved by the operator without leaving his position in front of the machine.

The arrangement described provides not only for the ready opening and closing of the mold, but it enables the whole mold, during vulcanization, to be moved into any desired position or to be intermittently moved from one position to another. This is a matter of importance because the tendency of water of condensation to collect at a given point hampers perfect vulcanization by tending to prevent proper cure at the point or points of collection. This is s'ubstantlally overcome by moving the mold into an angular position and, especially, by occasionally changing the position of the mold during vulcanization.

It will be understood that various changes may be resorted to in the form, construction and'arrangement of the several parts with- .out departing from the spirit and scope of my invention; hence, I do not intend to be limited to the details herein shown and described except as they may be included in the claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as. new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Apparatus of the character described comprising, a support, a mold. pivotally mounted in said support, said mold comprising hinged sections, means connected to one section for swinging the same toopen and close the mold, and means operatively connected to both sections for swinging the whole mold on its pivotal mounting, both said means being automatically operated.

2. Apparatus of the character described comprising, a support, a mold pivotally mounted in said support, said mold comprising hinged sections, means connected to one section and to the support above the pivotal mounting for swinging the section to open and close the mold, and means operatively connected to both sections and to the support below the pivotal mountingior swinging the whole mold on its pivotal mounting, both said means being automatically operated.

' 3. Apparatus of the character described comprising, a support, a mold pivotally mounted in said support, said mold comprising hinged sections, a fluid operated cylinder connected to one section and to the support above the pivotal mounting for swinging the section to open and close the mold, and a second fluid operated cylinder operatively connected to both sections and to the support below the pivotal mounting for swing- ,ing the Whole mold on-its pivotal mounting,.

the connection of said cylinders to the support being pivotal whereby straight line op' eration of the cylinders with respect to themold can be ma ntained in various positions of themold.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature.

WALTER L. FAIRCHILD. 

